Aerosol measurement observations from ground-based sun photometers and sun/sky radiometers have played a critical role in developing, reformulating and validating satellite algorithms to characterize aerosol optical depth, modal aerosol retrievals and single scattering albedo among other parameters. New and improved algorithms are being developed for current and future satellite missions that will place a greater demand on the accuracy and fidelity of the ground-based measurements for validation, multi data set synergism and long-term climate research. Heretofore satellite validation studies using sun and sky scanning spectral radiometer measurements such as AERONET have relied on point observations extrapolated to a two dimensional domain to compare to the satellite retrieval. Additionally few of the ground-based remote sensing measurements have had a rigorous comparison or validation against other ground-based measurements particularly in situ observations of aerosol size and absorption. DRAGON-USA will provide a data set to address satellite validation and in situ comparisons.

In support of the NASA Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS), ~15 AERONET sites will be established across the Southeast United States to provide the first coherent regional ground network of sun photometer data. Many of the new sites will be setup in collaboration with IMPROVE, SEARCH, and US EPA NERL as well as participating schools and universities.

In August and September 2013, the NASA DC-8 and ER-2 aircraft will fly over the continental US to investigate the influence of biomass burning smoke and pollution, their temporal evolution, and impacts on meteorological processes and feedbacks into regional air quality. Aircraft sampling regions are anticipated over the western and southeast United States. SEAC4RS activities will dovetail with DRAGON-USA Houston where 15 AERONET instruments deployed in the Houston, Texas metropolitan region to the Gulf of Mexico in support of NASA DISCOVER-AQ P3-B and King Air air quality research flights occurring in September 2013.